A storm crashed in without warning. Thunder shook the windows. Lights flickered.
María froze.
Lily.
She dropped everything and ran.
The staff room was empty.
The kitchen—empty.
The hallway—empty.
Panic clawed up her throat.
Then she saw it.
The door to Nathan Sterling’s private office was cracked open.
And inside, just barely visible, were tiny red shoes.
María’s blood turned to ice.
She rushed forward, bracing for humiliation, for firing, for ruin.
Instead—silence.
Inside the office, Nathan Sterling sat frozen in his leather chair.
And in front of him stood Lily.
She wore María’s yellow rubber gloves pulled up to her elbows. In her hands was a crumpled napkin.
“Are you scared of thunder?” Lily asked softly.
Nathan blinked.
Another thunderclap shook the room. Lily flinched—but stayed.
“My mommy says thunder is just hungry clouds yelling,” she explained seriously. “So I brought this.”
She unfolded the napkin on his pristine desk.
A chocolate chip cookie. Broken. Imperfect. Warm.
“Chocolate helps when you’re scared.”
Time stopped.
Nathan stared at the cookie like it didn’t belong in his world.
Slowly—carefully—he took it.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice rough from disuse.
That was when María burst in.